Springfield globe-republic. (Springfield, Ohio) 1884-1887, 1887-01-03
ARTHUR'S PET STUDY.
THE LATE Ex-PRESIOENT MADE
NAMES SOMETHING OF A HOBBY.

NAMED DUNE F1lNG Of 7O66f.
He Assists His Father In Preparing .
Book on tho Derivation of Family
Paronymics-SeIection From . Long
LIST.
fhrenologiSts judge tho character and
diPo5non Of persons by tho bumps and
conformity OF their heads; chiromancists
foretell By the shape and lines in the palms
Of the hands, and physiognomists read
through faces and eyes. What's in a
rams''' was a maxim Of the late President
Arthur. He thought that there was a good
deal in a name, and a favorite way with
him Of judging individuals was by the name
hs bore.
He used to say that he could read man
II he heard his name. In his early politi-
cal and public career his likes and dislikes
were to a considerable extent formed by
patronymics. II any one was introduced to
him in the days when he had leisure he
would particularly inquire how the name
was spelled, and If he conceived an an
tipathy it was chiefly beca,:ss tho name did
nos please him.
Thoss who knew him best say that the
judging Of names had much to do with his
lie. Hs svinced = special fondness for
Gaelic, seemingly. The study Of family
and baptismal names was begun by the
dead president when he was youth. Their
derivation and sisnification amounted to
hobby with him
In 1851. his father, the Rev William Ar
thur, who was Baptist preacher, compiled
. book on the subject It was prepared
while the clergyman WAS living at Newton
Wills. near Troy, and the future chief magis-
trass largsly aided his father in the editing
oSis Az ;-wet6 prs stssftf Dy t.l.4A,si.- - Iiir
book was published in this city thirty odd
years ago, but has long boen out OF print
and copies Of it are now difficult to find
Tho book was an chronological treatise of
family names, and gave the origin and i'm
port. 1t contained from 2, 500 to $500
names. In the work appear tho patro-
nymics Of many citizens who later on became
compeers and competitors of the late presi-
don't in public life. An oninous signif
canos 10 attached 70 ths name Of Garfield
Il b thus described.
Garfield, local, Saxon, sarvain-to pre-
pare; German and Dutch, gar-drsRcl,
dsns, ready, prepared, and field, Q place
whsrs svsrythin. il finished necessary fOT
an army.
II, Arthur Interpretation Of the name o.
United States Senator William II. Evarts
vss hard or enduring. His surname is thus
treated:
"EvarG u Q combination Of Everard
which il Saxon, and has the sams msaning
h Greek, that Is ever honorsd, or from
Eberhardt, ever hard or enduring Som
writerA" says ths Arthur treatise, "srs OF
ths opinion that We have Ever, EvSrard,
Evert from Ever, or hour"
The nsms Of Abram s. Hewitt, the
naysr-slscs Is said TO be Of Saxon origin,
and to signify ''hswer Of wood"
6ea Arthur traced out the name Of Ros-
ces Csnklin: ~ follows: "Con, wise, know
inz. bold, and klein, little or son. Konke-
len, in Dutch signifies to plot, intrigue, con
spiro. Cleangleaun, Gaelic, the head o.
the valley"
Henry Ward Beecher's surname d sai,
to b of Frsnch descent from ''besue cher,
hns entertainment, or from bsech wood
The name Of Henry George Is from ''tho
Greek, Gos, tbs earth, q husbandman, o
farmer"
Charles Stewart Parnell's name comes
according to Arthur's authority, from tn
lcalldh, pittby soohop "hAl
Gladstone h Saxon and means Just what
says
Slender or big man generally u the Eig
nifcaticn given to the family name
James c. Blaine Arthur said that "Blea
in tho Welsh meant the summit or top; tb
highest part Of a mountain, the inland Ell
trernity Of q glen, leader, . chief"
Senator MiIler's name is derived fror
tie Greek word "Meillsar, having larr
Fps; malair, Gaelic, 8 merchant; mailloi
f,aelic, a man In armor having . coat
nail, a soldier" Il also signifies Zone VIII
attends q grest mill. y"
The dead presidents one time chum
George Blia, gets his nams from tho Wells.
word "Blys, signifyins longing, desiring
In English ii means happy man"
The name Williams is from the Belgs
word guild helm, harnessed with q gilde
holmes or, a. others say, from Wilhelm
the shield or defense Of many"
The family to which Commissioner Ste
phen B. French belongs derive their nam
from the French. It means originally be
longing to the French.
Lieut. Gov Jones' name Is purported I,
u. Of Hebrew root, and to indicate gra
.ious man. Collector Magone's name h
.faelic and means bear"
Surrogate Rollins name il from the
saxon, and means counsel for the land
District Attorney Walkers name is claimed
to Be Of English birth. Arthur says: "In
the north Of England and so,::h Of Scotland
Q fulling mill IL sta called q walk mill.
The name may signify either fuller or ar
officer whose duty consists in walking OF
inspecting certain space of forest ground "
Dana indicates imam Of sminsnce," one
who Is s1alted.
Ransom. the nams of one Of Gen. Ar
thurs land ventures, means the price paid
for redemption from captivity or punish
mert. The name Of the late president s
rllitical eompeer, Ex-Gov. A. B. Cornell,
q from the British, meaning q corner, q
place, shaped ike body. In the French
corneills signifies . crow. Alderman
O'Connor's name means In Celtic and
Gaelic "wonderfnl among Men, Chief
Hustled means "a holns. nxsd place, from
the Saxon"
The following origin was attached tc
Gen. sArthur's swp name by his father and
himself
"Arthur BRITISH, strong man, from
Ar latin, vir1,sa man, and thor, strens
| In the GaalIe Air tn ths sanas - Fear. I
| man, and the ancient Scythisna called Z
man Aior. Thor was the Jupiter Of thu
| Tsutopie races, THAR god OF thunder. Il
waleh Arth 4 bear, an emblem o.
strength and courage. snd Sur, . noun tss
| rsination, man Arthur means Q hsAl
man, hsro, man Of strength.
Tis Astor family narns indisato I
stfsr - tn - Qrpsk s1nr. a1oo 4 49,